#NAUIDiveSpotlight: Kaycee Ranney– Confidence Through NAUI Scuba and Freediving
Kaycee Ranney’s journey into the world of scuba and freediving didn’t begin with a plan to become a NAUI Dive Professional. Instead, her journey began with a need for college credits. Today, Kaycee is a dedicated NAUI Scuba Instructor, NAUI Freediving Instructor, and passionate advocate for marine conservation. Her story is a powerful reminder of how a single opportunity can spark a lifetime of diving and passion for the sport and the environment.
How It All Began: A College Course That Changed Everything
Kaycee’s introduction to scuba diving came during her freshman year of college. Needing one more credit to qualify as a full-time student, she found a two-credit scuba diving course. The course combined classroom learning with pool training, offering students the opportunity to complete their certification dives. Kaycee jumped at the chance and headed to Mexico for her first open water dives.
While in Mexico, she was offered continuing education courses and accepted them. While initially driven by academics, Kaycee quickly fell in love with diving. Supported by her mom, she completed her NAUI Open Water Diver, Advanced Open Water, and Nitrox certifications during that trip.
A Passion for Marine Life and Conservation
From a young age, Kaycee was inspired by Steve Irwin, Jeff Corwin, and Shark Week. Her passion for animals and predators, such as sharks, led her to pursue a degree in environmental sustainability.
When teaching new students, she places a strong emphasis on sustainable diving practices and conservation. Today, she trains her students and applies this knowledge to her teaching:
From Diver to NAUI Instructor
Kaycee’s path to becoming a NAUI Instructor wasn’t planned. After earning her Master Diver rating, she intended to stop at Divemaster. But when her local dive shop, Louisville Dive Center, needed another leadership candidate, she accepted the challenge. Despite being the youngest and newest member of the team, she embraced the opportunity.
Her passion lies in helping divers overcome fears, gain confidence, and develop a lifelong love for the underwater world and protecting it.
Embracing Freediving and Mermaiding
Kaycee’s background as a swimmer and training with a monofin naturally led her to explore freediving and mermaiding. Freediving opened up a new world:
“I have ADHD, and my head is always talking. But underwater, my brain went quiet. It didn’t stop working, it just went still. It was amazing.”
This past month, Kaycee traveled down to NAUI Headquarters to train with Terrence Tysall, Director of the NAUI Training Department, and Kris Shannon, Manager of the NAUI Training Department. After a few very busy days, she successfully completed her NAUI Intermediate Freediver Certification, alongside earning her NAUI Freediving Instructor Certification. This achievement makes her one the only freediving instructors in her region. She now heads home to bring a new set of courses to the Louisville Dive Center, where courses like freediving are very hard to come by.
Expanding Dive Education in the Midwest
Working at Louisville Dive Center’s training facilities, she has the unique opportunity to train divers in their in-house 35-foot training well. This allows Kaycee to provide students with hands-on experience at deeper depths before heading to the open water. This approach helps divers build confidence with depth and buoyancy while mastering critical skills.
Kaycee sees freediving as a valuable complement to scuba:
“Freediving helped improve my air consumption and buoyancy. It made me a better diver overall.”
Inspiring the Next Generation of Divers
Today, Kaycee Ranney is on a mission to inspire others to explore the underwater world through scuba diving, freediving, and marine conservation. Whether she’s teaching NAUI Open Water Diver students or new freedivers, Kaycee focuses on creating confident, safe divers who respect and protect the ocean.
